Blessings and praises…

 

Hello all!

I’m sorry I’ve been so long in posting. This is a busy time of year. Last week we had parent-teacher conferences. This went very well and was very encouraging!! Many of the parents commented on how their child loves to go to school (well it’s a joy to teach them – most days). It was good to hear the parents’ main concerns and assure them that their child is making progress. A week before conferences each teacher had a sub for a day so we could evaluate and test our kids in reading and math. This was very helpful and gave me concrete evidence to show the parents. I had several parents ask how they could pray for me and my ministry! One family, from Korea, invited me to their house sometime over Christmas for supper. They said that the teacher of their daughter is very important and someone they want to honor by having over to their house. Thanks for all your prayers!!

This week, I did become very sick. I think it was just a 24-hour flu. It took a lot out of me (especially since I was dehydrated and lacking in sleep). On Tuesday mid-morning at school I felt nauseous (didn’t feel like I had a fever), but thought I could make it through the day. I didn’t eat lunch for fear of vomiting. I started to feel worse after lunch, “but the end of school was only 2 hours past lunch,” I reasoned. After school we had a staff meeting and I figured I could make it through that – cause I all had to do was sit there. Boy, I was wrong. I started to feel worse and worse and felt a fever coming on. I felt very nauseous and dizzy to the point of passing out. I couldn’t go back to the condos, so I went down to my classroom to lie on the floor till the meeting was over and someone could take me home. The rest of that day and through the night was terrible, but I was also able to sleep (for 14 hours) and re-hydrate myself. Christa, one of the moms, came in and checked on me several times the next day – bringing me crackers, bananas and 7up. She was a blessing!! I felt spoiled. It was also a blessing that the day I felt bad fell on a Wednesday – a day that I don’t normally have kids to teach (it’s my planning day). So, I went back to school this morning (Thursday) feeling pretty good and the students didn’t have a clue that I had been sick – until the school counselor interrupted class briefly to ask if I was doing okay. The students, ever inquisitive, turned to me and asked, “Why did she ask you if you were okay?” After I told them why, they all wanted to get up and give me a hug – bless their little hearts!

Next week is International Week at Faith Academy. Each grade level has a different continent to study – Kinder is studying Australia/New Zealand. This week I’ve introduced books about Australia and we have been coloring animals you find in Australia. Over the weekend I’m going to decorate the classroom with all the animals and a few other things. One day next week we are having International Sports day during an entire afternoon where the kids get to rotate from place to place, playing games from all the continents! The final day we are having our International Parade – where everyone dresses up in a costume from their native country!! It’s too bad I don’t have one of the African costumes my parents own. Then at chapel each grade level is performing a folktale from a country in their continent. Our folktale is “How the Kangaroo got its pouch.” I will take pictures from International Week and post those when I can!

Then, after International Week is our October break!! A much needed break – because we are already into second quarter!

Prayer requests/praises:

-                          that I find another ministry to get involved in since there is no cheer squad this year. There are so many opportunities of things to get involved in it could be overwhelming. Another factor is that I don’t have a car, so I would need to be involved in a ministry someone (that lives in or nearby the condos) is already involved in.

-                          Classroom management, especially in regards to the Korean boys I have. Korean parents usually wait till children are school age and then allow the teachers to teach them how to behave and to discipline them. I’m also trying to teach them the skills of sharing and not competing so hard for first place that they injure others.

 

-                          Praise – parent-teacher conferences went very well!!

-                          Praise – vonage is on it’s way to my condo!!! God has provided (through someone being willing to give $27/mon for that purpose) the funds for vonage and I think I have money in my budget for the $20/mon internet service. This will enable me to better communicate with everyone at home!!